09/01/2026
"After fifty years of juggling, I have come to see juggling not simply as a performance skill, but as an art form and a practice of self-improvement. Elemental Juggling explores the natural forces behind movement—gravity, momentum, rhythm, symmetry, balance, and coordination—and invites the public to experience these principles firsthand."
Michael Menes (Michael Menes) is a Maine-based artist and performer who has spent five decades developing a highly personal approach to juggling through performance, experimentation, prop design, and visual art. The Elemental Juggling Pavilion brings these explorations together in an interactive environment where visitors can discover juggling in new ways.
The Pavilion will feature handmade juggling objects and interactive sculptures, including original Ricochet instruments, swinging buzzers, and handmade Baoding balls. Visitors will have opportunities to explore movement and coordination through hands-on activities while also viewing Michael's contemporary "Juggliscopic" artwork, abstract visual works created from the forms, symmetry, and movement of juggling.
"Juggling develops tangible skills, but its deeper value is the gradual development of the person. By practicing symmetry, coordination, focus, rhythm, and balance, we practice becoming more capable human beings. The objects and artwork in the Pavilion grow from that same exploration."
The Elemental Juggling Pavilion is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Michael will be demonstrating Elemental Juggling at the 2026 Norway Maine Arts Festival on Saturday September 12th from 10am to 4pm, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the Pavilion and try selected activities for themselves. He will also have original Juggliscopic artwork and prints available to view and purchase.
Website: michaelmenes.com/pavilion/
